"Anthony called me…" Rich hesitated, but he explained, "he said his mom and dad were just helping you make a scene to keep him at home…"
Gosh. I didn't even have the energy to argue.
Officer Chavez, one of the officers next to me, cut through the awkward silence. "Sir, you should call him. Let him know what's going on."
Rich nodded and stepped aside, phone in hand. I could hear the faint sound of his dial tone, but the line was busy.
My mind wandered to my mother-in-law—her soft, fragile demeanor. She was the kind of woman who'd cry for someone to blow on her finger if it was scalded by tea. Now? God only knows what kind of pain she was enduring.
I swallowed hard, trying to steady myself, and quickly dialed Anthony's uncle.
But no luck. His line was busy, too.
Minutes dragged by before my phone lit up again—it was Anthony's uncle calling back.
Before I could ask if he'd managed to gather the money, he sighed and said, "Denise, I've got to say this—how could you stage something like this to fool your husband's parents?! Look, I get that they treat you like their own daughter, but you should be the one persuading them to be more reasonable! Good grief, I nearly had a heart attack! Good thing I asked Anthony after I heard about this!"
At that moment, I felt completely hopeless.
"Uncle, are you saying Anthony told you this... this was all fake?!" My voice trembled. "Fine, don't believe me. But can you get in touch with my in-laws? Because I can't. And the cops are here right now."
There was a long sigh on the other end of the line. Then another sigh.
"Anthony has someone else, Denise. Listen, if it's too much to bear, just divorce him. It'll set you both free."
I hung up without another word.
Meanwhile, Rich had finally reached Anthony.
"Bro, you need to come back!" Rich said, his voice urgent. "Your parents might really have been kidnapped!"
But the voice that responded wasn't Anthony—it was Debbie's.
"Rich? Oh, come on, are you playing along with Denise's drama too? Your brother's busy grilling beef. Hold on, I'll get him."
I heard her call out to Anthony in the background, but he didn't even take the phone.
He just muttered to her, "Hang up. That lunatic just doesn't let anyone live in peace!"
And then the line went dead.
Rich turned back to me, his brows furrowing deeply.
I lowered my eyes and let out a bitter laugh. "I don't know what else to do. But the kidnapper wants the ransom brought to Hopewell Square. I don't have enough, but I'll go anyway. If I'm the bait, maybe it'll give the cops a chance to catch them."
Officer Chavez beside me disagreed, "Ma'am, let me bring the ransom instead."
I shook my head. "What if he knows me? If you go, they'll know something's wrong. Just please stay close by and protect me. I'll bring it myself."
With no better ideas, everyone agreed to my plan.
When the kidnapper called again, I lied and told him the money was ready. I asked where to take it, promising to hand it over in exchange for my in-laws.
The voice on the other end let out a cold laugh and nonchalantly replied, "Fine."
But something about his tone made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. My instincts screamed at me, and before he could hang up, I blurted, "Let me hear my in-laws' voices!"
The man sneered. "Why the rush, babe? You'll see them soon enough."
With that, the call ended.
I quickly instructed my financial manager to withdraw as much cash as possible. Once the suitcase was packed, I dragged it to the location the kidnapper specified.
When I arrived, another call came through. The kidnapper's voice was as sinister as ever. "Leave the money and head to the underground parking lot. The old hags are waiting for you there."
I didn't care about the money anymore—the cops were monitoring it. I left and rushed down to the underground parking lot.
And that's when I saw it.
My in-laws's car.
The door was ajar.
Inside, they sat slumped in their seats, their throats... their throats slashed! Blood... pooled... on the floor...
My knees gave out, and I collapsed, crawling toward the car as sobs ripped through my chest.
Somehow, my trembling fingers managed to dial 911.
"Two elderly… throat slashed… Hopewell Square underground parking lot. Please… send help! Quickly!"
I clutched my in-laws' cold hands tightly. "Mom… Dad… please stay with me, okay? The doctors are coming..."
"I'll call Anthony. I'll make him come here right away."
My poor in-laws, barely clinging to life, weakly shook their heads.
"Denise," my mother-in-law whispered, "after we're gone... divorce Anthony. All of our shares, properties, funds, and cash... will all go to you. Dear, we're so sorry."
I choked back a sob and shook my head frantically. "No, no, no. You don't have to apologize, Mom. It's my fault! I didn't get the money fast enough! I wasted too much time!"
She gave me a faint smile. "Oh, sweetie, don't blame yourself. It's not... It's not your fault. The kidnappers... they never intended to let us live."
I kept calling Anthony, over and over. The phone rang, but no one answered. Desperate, I sent him a message on Telegram.
[Anthony, your parents are badly hurt! Come back immediately!]
But the message seemed to vanish into the void. No reply.
I kept calling, kept messaging… until his Mom and Dad slowly closed their eyes for the last time. And still, Anthony hadn't replied.
The ambulance arrived, but it was too late. There was nothing they could do.
I stood up, the world spinning around me, everything fading to black. I grabbed the car door to steady myself, only to feel someone supporting me. I turned to see one of the officers accompanying me.
"Ma'am," he said softly, "the ransom wasn't taken. The kidnapper who came to collect it fell from a height during the chase and is currently unconscious."
He paused, then added, "I'm sorry for your loss."
